because if they put as much energy into making this law work as they do in attacking the law, americans would be better off. (cheers and applause) americans would be better off. if you had one of these substandard plans before the affordable care act became law and you really like that plan you are able to keep it. that's what i said when i was running for office. that was part of the promise we made. but ever since the law was passed, if insurers decided to downgrade or cancel these substandard plans, well, we said under the law you've got to replace them with quality comprehensive coverage because that, too, was a central premise of the affordable care act from the very beginning. and need promise means that every plan in the marketplace covers a core set of minimum benefits like maternity care and preventative care and mental health care and prescription drug benefits and hospitalization and they can't use allergies or pregnancy or a sports injury or the fact that you're a woman to charge you more. (cheers and applause) they can't do that anymore. so, yes, this is hard. because the h